Finger board



April! 1929 F. A. WILLIAMS LWMM FINGER BOARD Original Filed April 50, 192'? IN VEN TOR.

a. MW

BY l V A TTORNEYS.

Patented it, lgfii erriea Fl'tANK A. WILLIAMS, OF HOUSTUN', TEXAS, ASSIGNOB, OF ONE-HALF TO H. A. NEW- MAN, O13 HOUSTON, AND ONE-FALF T0 H. FEED NEWMAN, OF FORT BEND COUNTY,

TEXAS.

FINGER BOARD.

Application filed April 30, 1927', Serial No. 188,037. Renewed October 25, 1928 This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a finger board.

Gne object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described, specially designed for use in derricks, for the purpose of formin a support for the upper ends of r the oints or sections of pipe used in drilling or pumping operations and which at times must be stored in upright position in the derrick.

In carrying on drilling or pumping operations the string of pipe or tubing used is at times broken up and as it is broken up the joints of the string are stacked in vertical position in the derrick so as to be in convenient position for use in making the same up into a string which is let down into the bore. For the purpose of maintaining the joints in upright position a support must be provided for the upper ends of the joints or sections of the string, this support being commonly known as a finger board.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a finger board of the character described, and for the purpose stated and which is not liable to be engaged by the traveling block, by means 01' which the joints or pipe are handled, and displaced thus leaving the upper ends of the stacked joints without a support.

With the above and other objects in View the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, arrangement of parts, and use, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the derrick, shown partly broken away and showing the finger board therein in position to support the upper ends of the joints of pipe, and

Figure 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of the finger board.

iet'erring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals oi reference designate similar parts in each oi the figures, the immoral 1 designates the well derrick as a whole, which is composed of the usual corner posts anchored together by means oi suitable braces as 2 At a convenient height in the derrick and mounted on oppositely disposed braces 2 there are the transverse supporting beams 3 which lie adjacent, and fastened to the upper sides of l er the finger board.

these beams there is the U-shaped bracket 4: having the side arms 5, 5.- Between these arms there is a' sectional finger board formed of two similar sections 6, 6, which lie alongside and extend out over the derrick floor 7. There is a transverse rod 8 Which is fitted through transversely aligned bearings in the arms 5 as well asthrough transversely aligned bearings through the inner ends of the sections 6, 6, thus providing a pivotal mounting The numeral 9 designates a conventional draw works which operates the cable 10. This cable Works over the conventional crown block (not shown) having sheavesover which the cable is threaded in the usual Way and the traveling block 11 is operated through the cable 10. i

The string of pipe in the bore is handled by this traveling block and in withdrawing said string from the bore it is broken up into joints or sections, as 12, whose lower ends rests on the derrick floor 7 and whose upper ends rest against the inner cross beam 3 and are held in position by the finger board 6, as illustrated in Figure 1.

it sometimes happens that as the traveling block moves upwardly it engages against said finger board and when the type of finger board, now in common use, is employed the traveling block sometimes breaks the finger board loose from its anchorage to the beams 3 permitting the sections oi pipe 12 to fall. When the type of finger board herein described is employed if the traveling block engages underneath the finger board in its upward movement it will engage the section 6 on the opposite side from the pipe 12, as it travels up and down. In such case the engaged section will be lifted but the other section will hold the upper ends of the pipe in position. Said last mentioned section is reinforced or strengthened by means of an an chor pin 14, which extends down through it and through the beam 3 beneath but when the traveling block 11 passes on up and disengages said section of the finger board, the finger board section will drop back into position alongside the other section.

It is not necessary in all cases that the finger board be formed sectional as in some cases a single section, as 6, may be used, instead of the two sections 6, 6. When the single section. is used it should be pivoted to the support in the manner hereinbefore described, or

by means of some other suitable pivotal con- 11 etion. l/Vhen the linger board is not being used it may be swung on its pivot out of its projecting position over the floor 7 so that it will not be in the Way in carrying on drilling or pumping operations.

When a linger board of the type herein described is used there is consequently small likelihood that the upper ends of the pipe sections Will be released and permitted to fall by the traveling block.

What I claim is 1. In a derrick a'finger board support and a linger board formed oi adjacent longitudinal sections pivotally connected to said support and normally extending horizontally therefrom. v

v 2. In a derrick a transverse supporting member, a sectional fingerboard, pivotally connected therewith at one end and extending out horizontally therefrom, the sections of said linger board lying adjacent.

3. In a derrick a transverse supporting member, a U-shaped bracket 'l'astenml to the upper side thereof and having side arms, a linger board formed of adjacent longitudinal sections, one end of Which located on said support between said side arms and pivotally connected to said bracket.

4. In a derrick a transverse supporting moepo i member, a til-shaped bracket fastened to the upper side thereof and having side arms, a

finger board formed of longitudinal sections arranged adjacent each other, one end of which is located on said support between said side arms and pivotally connected to said bracket, and a pin passing through one of said sections and through the support beneath.

5. The combination With a derrick, of a transverse support mounted thereon, a brackct fixed on said support having side members, a linger board formed of longitudinal sections fitted at oneend between said side members and pivotally connected to said bracket and resting on said support, said sec tions lying adjacent each other and being rigid throughout, the other ends of said section being free and extending out horizon tally from said support. 7

6. A device of the character described including a supporting member and a fingerboard thereon, said fingerboard being l ornicd of adacent longitudinal sections normally extending horizontally from the supporting member and one of which is pivotaily connected to said member.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANK A. WILLIAMS, 

